Rich nurses?

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you guys are mostly from the USA?

I just glanced over a thread and it seems you guys are ridculously overpaid?

In Australia.. nursing is by far not a well paid job. Its maybe just average. My step dad who was a traffic controller - held a sign that said "slow" and "stop" on the flipside got paid $10 an hour more than me.. i kid you not.

Specializes in ER, ICU, Infection Control.
Compared to the training, Nursing is one of the best paid profession in US. Of course doctors make more, but they require much longer training.

Go to any community college and find out which associate degree holder can make more money than a Nurse graduate? NONE! For example, an accounting associate graduate makes $10-$20 here, plus they work on an exempt job, means no matter how much OT there is, they are not getting paid for it.

I guess because Union in this country is very powerful. Anybody who are in the union, they get significantly higher pay. For example, the Transit system in NYC, when they were on strike couple years ago for complaint of low pay. it turns out that a cleaner of the floor makes 47K, more than most fresh college graduate.

The healthcare cost in this country highrock every year, why? Many people think high salary in health care worker is the major contribution. Unfortunately that is the true. There is definitely monopoly in this labor market.

Maybe the nurses and MAYBE resp and x-ray techs - BUT the housekeepers (and where would we be without them? Up to our necks in infectious waste - that's where!), kitchen workers, EMTs, aides, orderlies, and so on and so on.... make buckas! At my last hospital HKs working there for 25 YEARS made not an overly significant more than minimum wage! I went to war on their behalf and got them all a SMALL raise and some other perks (like paid OT) - but I bet since I've left the have no champion. :trout: I just like this little fish licking Ms Smilies' face!

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Infection Control.
It's a well-known fact all around the country that LPN does stand for Low Paid Nurse.........and Let's Play Nurse......ha! Well...we are all rich in spirit to do this work well, eh?;)

And what do Head Nurse's have??????

I AM SO SICK of that joke - it makes me puke!!!!!:angryfire

And RN - "real" nurse (as opposed to those fake nurses or are the imaginary nurses?) or real nuts (for going into this field?). And I have to say I went into this field partly because my Mom always wanted to be a nurse but couldn't and part because I felt it was a calling - and part because I wanted to be sure I could support myself and my babies and be NOT be dependant on any man (you may GUESS I had a dead-beat dad!). I chose this calling in the IFITH grade and didn't find out about the salary till high school - I just knew they made more than waitress which my Mom was while ALSO working as a Nurse's Aide to support us!

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If you look at the hourly salary, RN is among the highest paid in all professions, plus: other earning opportunities are plenty. Overtime is a big plus to the salary, while most other professions have to work on exempt jobs and would not be able to enjoy this opportunity. Plus the chances of finding a second part-time job are much higher in RN than most other professions.

This country is unique in that the unions are so powerful and they, to a large extent, actually control the labor market. There is nothing wrong nurses make high salary, what make me feel sick is that some nurses, while enjoying the comfortable life, kept complaining how low their pay is. Maybe only a doctor's pay will make these people happy.

Maybe the nurses and MAYBE resp and x-ray techs - BUT the housekeepers (and where would we be without them? Up to our necks in infectious waste - that's where!), kitchen workers, EMTs, aides, orderlies, and so on and so on.... make buckas! At my last hospital HKs working there for 25 YEARS made not an overly significant more than minimum wage! I went to war on their behalf and got them all a SMALL raise and some other perks (like paid OT) - but I bet since I've left the have no champion. :trout: I just like this little fish licking Ms Smilies' face!
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Specializes in Med-Surg.
If you look at the hourly salary, RN is among the highest paid in all professions, plus: other earning opportunities are plenty. Overtime is a big plus to the salary, while most other professions have to work on exempt jobs and would not be able to enjoy this opportunity. Plus the chances of finding a second part-time job are much higher in RN than most other professions.

This country is unique in that the unions are so powerful and they, to a large extent, actually control the labor market. There is nothing wrong nurses make high salary, what make me feel sick is that some nurses, while enjoying the comfortable life, kept complaining how low their pay is. Maybe only a doctor's pay will make these people happy.

Yes and no. I'm not sure where you get your stats but there are other professions such enginnering, computers, statisticians, architechts making good money above what nurses make.

However, if you factor out education and eliminate those with higher educations like doctors, lawyers, professors, etc. you get a picture similar to what you paint, that Nurses are well paid for an associate degreed education as the minimum level of entry (no debates please).

People are going to complain no matter what. I certainly am not going to whine about my salary because after 15 years I'm not doing too bad with my associate degree.

I do understand that in some parts of the country the starting RN salary is less.

My beef is that while we are fairly decently compensated with a middle income we are not "rich nurses" as the original poster presumes. I'm also not comfortable with your statement that nurses are among the highest paid professionals.

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I guess nobody will feel comfortable when others say they are well paid. Well, sorry, maybe I should not say it here, not matter true or not, it is not very polite though.

You are right there are always somebody complain they are under paid. Even nursing shortage, it is controversial. Some say there is no shortage at all. It is to the Nurse Union's advantage to claim such shortage so they can negotiate better pay. As a fact, I'm not sure there is real shortage or not. Maybe there is, or there isn't. Who knows?

Yes and no. I'm not sure where you get your stats but there are other professions such enginnering, computers, statisticians, architechts making good money above what nurses make.

However, if you factor out education and eliminate those with higher educations like doctors, lawyers, professors, etc. you get a picture similar to what you paint, that Nurses are well paid for an associate degreed education as the minimum level of entry (no debates please).

People are going to complain no matter what. I certainly am not going to whine about my salary because after 15 years I'm not doing too bad with my associate degree.

I do understand that in some parts of the country the starting RN salary is less.

My beef is that while we are fairly decently compensated with a middle income we are not "rich nurses" as the original poster presumes. I'm also not comfortable with your statement that nurses are among the highest paid professionals.

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Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.
Compared to the training, Nursing is one of the best paid profession in US. Of course doctors make more, but they require much longer training.

Go to any community college and find out which associate degree holder can make more money than a Nurse graduate? NONE! For example, an accounting associate graduate makes $10-$20 here, plus they work on an exempt job, means no matter how much OT there is, they are not getting paid for it.

I guess because Union in this country is very powerful. Anybody who are in the union, they get significantly higher pay. For example, the Transit system in NYC, when they were on strike couple years ago for complaint of low pay. it turns out that a cleaner of the floor makes 47K, more than most fresh college graduate.

The healthcare cost in this country highrock every year, why? Many people think high salary in health care worker is the major contribution. Unfortunately that is the true. There is definitely monopoly in this labor market.

I find your examples interesting because I graduated with an associate degree originally and I am a former resident of NY, as well as a former administrative assistant of a teaching hospital. I'll trackle the expense of nurses costing health care so much money that they are responsible for it's high cost. Just what do you base this assumption on? Yes, at least two twelve hour shifts of nurses are required to care for patients. But when you compare their hourly cost, vs the cost of an MRI, or equipment for an OR or the cost of drugs, they drop dramatically.

And the monopoly of nurses, I wish we did have such a monopoly. We are caught in a labor pool that generally dictates our salary. We do have unions but not every hospital is unionized. And not every state grants employees the same rights that other states do.

Let me share my salary, in 1980 when I worked in NYC. I left making $27 an hour. I moved to Florida, where I made $6.10 an hour. These days, a new graduate, which I was not, makes approximately $17 to $19 per hour. A new garduate earning as an assistant in accounting, i.e. a book keeper, $15 to $17 an hour. Most don't remain with their associates, they go on to become CPAs. And they really earn the big bucks. Much more then a nurse.

Woody:balloons:

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And what do Head Nurse's have??????

I AM SO SICK of that joke - it makes me puke!!!!!:angryfire

And RN - "real" nurse (as opposed to those fake nurses or are the imaginary nurses?) or real nuts (for going into this field?). And I have to say I went into this field partly because my Mom always wanted to be a nurse but couldn't and part because I felt it was a calling - and part because I wanted to be sure I could support myself and my babies and be NOT be dependant on any man (you may GUESS I had a dead-beat dad!). I chose this calling in the IFITH grade and didn't find out about the salary till high school - I just knew they made more than waitress which my Mom was while ALSO working as a Nurse's Aide to support us!

Sorry, no offense meant. I was just trying to pointe out that this these phrases were well known all over the place, not just in that one hospital. I have been a nurse for 18 years and have lived North and South and you hear it all over.:devil:

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Compared to the training, Nursing is one of the best paid profession in US. Of course doctors make more, but they require much longer training.

Go to any community college and find out which associate degree holder can make more money than a Nurse graduate? NONE! For example, an accounting associate graduate makes $10-$20 here, plus they work on an exempt job, means no matter how much OT there is, they are not getting paid for it.

I guess because Union in this country is very powerful. Anybody who are in the union, they get significantly higher pay. For example, the Transit system in NYC, when they were on strike couple years ago for complaint of low pay. it turns out that a cleaner of the floor makes 47K, more than most fresh college graduate.

The healthcare cost in this country highrock every year, why? Many people think high salary in health care worker is the major contribution. Unfortunately that is the true. There is definitely monopoly in this labor market.

I disagree that the salaries of health care workers are the cause of the increasing health care costs. Unions can be powerful, but most nurses don't belong to unions. You mention this several times in your posts, but it is simply not the case. I would love to know where the nearest hospital with a union in place is, because I would be banging on the door for a job. Please explain what you mean by there being a monopoly in the health care field?

I would not say that nurses are among the highest paid professionals. As Tweety mentioned, there are a lot of other professionals out there making more money than nurses. For the minimum degree level (ADN), I do agree that the pay is good. However, if you are a BSN and look at the pay level compared to others with a bachelor's degree, starting salary is comparable in many cases. Also, nursing is unique in that it has a decent starting salary, but wages don't significantly increase over time, as may other professions.

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comapring nurses in different countries is like compairing apples to pears. I know nurses in Scotland that make much less us American Nurses. But, they also have wounderful medical benifits, wounderful vacation (holiday ) time. , they have a transportation system that gets most everyone where they want to go more easily than most cities in the USA, American nurses are more prone to law suites. Both have their ups and downs but, it's difficult to compair the two.

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Specializes in ED, Cardiac Medicine, Retail Health.

I am certainly not going to complain about my salary. I have been a nurse for 6 months and earn $33.00/hr but I live in high cost area. Financial well being is based more on spending habits than actual take home pay. I feel in this country wants and needs are often ill defined. Also credit cards and children certainly effect the "bottom line".

In my neck of the woods there are staff nurses that make six figure incomes and still cry poverty. Nurses can make an almost unlimited amount of income if they are willing to sacrifice (health, family, relationships), but to say that we are overpaid or rich is misstating the facts of nursing in the States.

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In most states, CPA require 150 credit hours, which means a Master's degree, and 2 year work experience. The eucation requirement of CPA with RN is not comparable. Maybe you can compare CRNA with CPA, they both require Master's training. But who makes more bucks? CRNA of course.

I find your examples interesting because I graduated with an associate degree originally and I am a former resident of NY, as well as a former administrative assistant of a teaching hospital. I'll trackle the expense of nurses costing health care so much money that they are responsible for it's high cost. Just what do you base this assumption on? Yes, at least two twelve hour shifts of nurses are required to care for patients. But when you compare their hourly cost, vs the cost of an MRI, or equipment for an OR or the cost of drugs, they drop dramatically.

And the monopoly of nurses, I wish we did have such a monopoly. We are caught in a labor pool that generally dictates our salary. We do have unions but not every hospital is unionized. And not every state grants employees the same rights that other states do.

Let me share my salary, in 1980 when I worked in NYC. I left making $27 an hour. I moved to Florida, where I made $6.10 an hour. These days, a new graduate, which I was not, makes approximately $17 to $19 per hour. A new garduate earning as an assistant in accounting, i.e. a book keeper, $15 to $17 an hour. Most don't remain with their associates, they go on to become CPAs. And they really earn the big bucks. Much more then a nurse.

Woody:balloons:

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I agree with you in that nursing has decent starting salary, but as times goes by, nursing experiences does not count as much as in other professions.

I disagree that the salaries of health care workers are the cause of the increasing health care costs. Unions can be powerful, but most nurses don't belong to unions. You mention this several times in your posts, but it is simply not the case. I would love to know where the nearest hospital with a union in place is, because I would be banging on the door for a job. Please explain what you mean by there being a monopoly in the health care field?

I would not say that nurses are among the highest paid professionals. As Tweety mentioned, there are a lot of other professionals out there making more money than nurses. For the minimum degree level (ADN), I do agree that the pay is good. However, if you are a BSN and look at the pay level compared to others with a bachelor's degree, starting salary is comparable in many cases. Also, nursing is unique in that it has a decent starting salary, but wages don't significantly increase over time, as may other professions.

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